National Commission for Woman was nominated as the Coordinating
agency at the National level for dealing with issues pertaining NRI marriages
by Government of India vide Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs order dated
28th April 2009, based on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee on
Empowerment of Woman (14th Lok Sabha) on the subject �Plight of Indian Woman
deserted by NRI husbands� which was discussed and deliberated upon the Inter
Ministerial Committee meeting held on 7th July, 2008.

In furtherance of this, the NRI Cell was formally inaugurated on
the 24th of September, 2009. NRI Cell deals with complaints received from India
and abroad resulting due to cross country marriages wherein there is any
deprivation of women�s rights or any issue involving grave injustice to women.
Since its inception around 350 cases have been registered.

The main points of relevance and achievements of the NRI Cell
are

The complaints are attended to, in co-ordination with
concerned Embassies/ Consulates/ Ministries and public authorities, who also
respond.

Ministry of Law and Justice is being approached for
execution of warrants of arrest or orders given by Indian courts.

The issue of feasibility of dual passport to women who
marry NRIs/PIOs was taken up with Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of
Law and Justice. However under existing Passport Act, 1967 the same is not
feasible, the MEA has assured the following:

If a wife is harassed and deserted and is without her
passport and if the original passport is valid and the husband has that in his
custody, she can make an application to the Passport Office and a new passport
will be given after verifying passport particulars from original Passport
issuing authority, in case she does not have any record or photocopy of her old
passport.

If the wife has the photocopy and record of the old
passport, a new passport will be issued fairly fast after canceling the old one
in the system. Registration of FIR is not essential in such cases.

In case she is on a dependent visa, and the visa has been
cancelled, the matter will have to be taken up with the concerned country.

In case Non Bailable Warrants (NBWs) have been issued,
application may be made directly to the Passport Authority for revocation of
the passport of the person against whom such Non Bailable Warrants have been
issued, since it is a discretionary power of the Passport Office.

Action Taken Report received from Police Authorities,
relating the action taken or the reason for inaction in respect to respective
complaints.

Ministry of Home Affairs were given approx. 100 copies of
the Brochure of Dos and Don�ts for onward submission to all State Governments.

Maintaining a data bank record of cases registered for
further references and guidelines.